The recruitment market today is competitive, fast-paced, and ever-changing so the ability to attract and retain talent is crucial.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen the largest fall in employment rates in a decade with offers getting revoked and redundancies being made. As a consequence, an increasing number of people are actively looking for a new role and interviewing at several organisations, making competition for attracting and attaining talent between firms fiercer than before.
So how do you make your company a magnet for the right candidate? The answer lies in your company culture. An appealing company culture is arguably the biggest marketing tool to attract talented candidates to join your company. In fact, poor or non-existent company culture is one of the top reasons why people change jobs.
What is Company Culture and Why is it Important?
Essentially, company culture is the heart and soul of your company. It’s a cocktail blended up of vision, values, goals, and day-to-day activities.
Studies show employees who feel there is a positive cultural fit, contribute more, stay longer, build better relationships with co–workers, and are overall more successful in their role.
Below, we’ve put together 4 recommendations on how to promote your company culture to attract new talent:
1. Turn Your Employees into Brand Ambassadors
According to BigCommerce, 88% of people trust online reviews written by other people as much as they trust recommendations from family and friends.
The likelihood of your current employees having a social media account and extensive connections is high so use this to your advantage and encourage your employees to promote your company’s achievements and share new hiring positions.
By encouraging your employees to promote your company, you’ll be visible to a larger talent pool and just as people are more likely to buy from a company that has been recommended by a friend, they are more likely to be interested in working for your company that has been recommended.
Take LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Reviews, and Glassdoor for example; they are providing insightful information about your company’s culture to prospective employees daily. As a result, potential employees can find out all they need to know before applying.
It’s important to note that not all reviews and shares will be positive, so assign some time to review, respond, and take notes. Similarly, when you receive a positive comment or feedback from a current or previous employee, thank them and encourage them to use a tool like LinkedIn, Google Reviews, or Glassdoor to share their thoughts further.
2. Use Visual Communication on Social Media
If you want to attract online attention, incorporate creative visual formats such as images, GIFs, and video, instead of, or in addition to text.
Research shows the human brain only needs 1/10 of a second to understand an image whereas reading 200-250 words takes an average of 60 seconds.
So, it is far more impactful to show (not tell) what your workplace culture is all about.
Whether you’re working from home or back in the office, capture a snap or a 30-second clip of your team’s morning meeting, office pets, or someone celebrating a birthday. Let the applicant feel like they are part of your team already.
Equally, your clients will also appreciate seeing how you company operates.
People generally like to see the real nuts and bolts of what makes your company great and unique from your competitors.
By giving a little behind–the–scenes look at your company, you will be seen as an honest and transparent company, and as a result, attract a wider talent pool.
3. Use a Blog to Showcase Your Culture
Nowadays almost every company has a blog. Not only does a blog drive business leads, but it is also an excellent way to help potential employees get to know your company culture.
You can use your blog to introduce your team, share core values, and celebrate achievements.
Just remember it’s crucial your content is consistent and shares the same messages throughout as mixed messages may harm your chance of securing the best talent.
Google has an entirely separate blog just about working at Google which covers everything from internships and teamwork to employee experiences and pay equality. Along with Google, there are plenty of other organisations that have public online blogs and by following these companies, for example, it could be the difference as to why an applicant accepts your offer rather than your competitors.
4. Cultivate Authentic and Relatable Brand
Over the past few months, we’ve seen a huge shift in how companies are communicating their values and interacting with their following.
Recruitment has changed, and it’s likely your company has, too.
Research shows audiences respond much better to messages that contain a strong human element. The more clear, authentic and relatable your branding is, the more your website, content marketing, email messaging, social media presence, and job adverts will appeal to potential employees.
Summary
Evidently, social media and content are two very powerful tools for recruiting top talent as it’s your chance to speak directly to potential employees.
Going forward it’s important you understand what your target candidates are looking for (i.e. salary, duties, learning development) and then identify what sets your company apart from its competitors.
Promote your role, showcase your company culture, and utilise your employee networks to push your message out there!
If you are wanting to find out how content marketing also attracts talent, take a look at our recent blog post here – How Can You Use Content Marketing to Attract Talent?
NICOLA MONGON is the MD of Spotlight Recruitment, the leading marketing recruitment agency in the UK since 2008. Read our 5* Google reviews from candidates and clients to find our more. If you would like to discuss recruitment, you can reach Spotlight on 020 3008 4254 or info@spotlightrecruitment.com.
